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19 Injured When Mentally Ill Man Drives Into Pedestrians in Australia, Police Say
An SUV rammed into pedestrians on a busy central Melbourne street, leaving 19 people injured. Police believe the driver, who is in custody, is mentally ill. The 32-year-old driver, an Australian citizen of Afghan decent, has a known history of drug use and mental health issues and was known to state police on "historical assault matters," police said in news conference. There was no evidence or intelligence to indicate that the incident was connected to terrorism, but they believe the act was deliberate. A second man had been taken into custody after the incident, which occurred on Flinders Street in the city's central business district just after 4:45 p.m. when the area was busy with Christmas shoppers, but the second man is no longer believed to have been involved in the incident. Police said that 19 people had been injured in the attack, four critically — matching a list of casualties that had been reported by media earlier but was not immediately confirmed by officials. Several were taken to hospitals, and two were in critical condition, including a pre-school aged boy with head injuries.
South Korea Fires Warning Shots After North Soldier Defects
South Korean soldiers fired 20 warning machine gun rounds, turning back North Korean soldiers apparently pursuing a comrade who had earlier dashed across the rivals' shared border, officials said. It is the fourth time this year a North Korean soldier has defected across the world's most heavily armed border. South Korean military officials said they heard gunfire from the North after South Korea fired its warning shots, but it wasn't clear if the firing was retaliatory. Neither side immediately reported casualties. North Korean soldiers occasionally flee over the land border, but there have been few defections as dramatic as one that happened nearly 40 days ago, when a northern soldier crossed at a different, very public place — a jointly controlled area that is the only place where troops from the rivals face off only feet away from each other. That soldier was shot five times by his former comrades in an escape caught on video. He has been recovering in a hospital. The site of that defection is familiar to many foreign tourists, who can visit the blue huts that straddle the line between the rivals.
Fire Crews Brace for Gusts in Battle Against Thomas Fire
After a welcome lull in powerful winds that drove Southern California's massive wildfire, crews and homeowners braced for the return of potentially dangerous gusts that could revive the flames. Some residents are watching from afar at hotels and evacuation centers, while others are waiting in their homes and hoping for the best. Katy and Bob Zappala have stayed in their home in Santa Barbara, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, despite a mandatory evacuation order that's been in place for days. The Thomas Fire, which began Dec. 4, is responsible for two deaths, has destroyed at least 750 homes, and has burned about 425 square miles.
What the Tax Win Means for Trump Now and in 2020
In securing his first legislative victory, President Trump demonstrated he's capable of leading his party in Congress and added another plank to his re-election platform. For a large portion of the next 11 months – and the two years after that, Democrats and Republicans will fight over whether the $1.5 trillion tax cut is the best catalyst for the economy, whether more of the relief should have been distributed to the working and middle classes and whether it should have included its repeal of Obamacare's tax on people who don't buy health insurance. "It is a fundamental challenge to this presidency: Can we communicate the good news of the president's economic reforms to counter Democratic spin in the other direction. That may determine whether or not the president is re-elected in 2020," Trump's 2016 campaign advisor, Michael Caputo told NBC News. Trump's supporters say enacting the tax cut is crucial because his 2020 re-election hopes rely heavily on Republicans' ability to keep control of Congress in the midterms. If they lose either chamber, his agenda will stall. If they lose both the House and Senate, his first term could devolve into an impeachment fight. If the economy is energized by the Tax cut and Trump's efforts to cut federal regulations, Republicans may be able to overcome the President's dismal current approval rating.
Khloe Kardashian Confirms Pregnancy With Instagram Post
Khloe Kardashian is pregnant. The reality star confirmed on Instagram that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Tristan Thompson. She included a photo of her pregnant belly with the post. The 33-year-old Kardashian said she is "thankful, excited, nervous, eager, overjoyed and scared all in one" and called the pregnancy "my greatest dream realized." Kardashian is the younger sister of Kim Kardashian West. Thompson plays is a center-forward with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The couple's pregnancy had been rumored for months.
Woman Sues Rapper Nelly Claiming Sexual Assault, Defamation
A woman has sued the rapper Nelly, claiming he sexually assaulted her on his tour bus and later damaged her reputation by refuting her account. The Seattle Times reported Monique Greene's lawsuit against Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Haynes Jr., seeks unspecified damages. The rapper was arrested on his tour bus in a suburban Seattle Walmart parking lot in October. Prosecutors have said they weren't charging him because the woman wasn't cooperating with the case. Nelly's attorney says the lawsuit is financially motivated and a countersuit is planned. Greene's lawyer, Karen Koehler, said her client only sued after the rapper publicly contended last week that Greene fabricated her story.
Photo Credit: AP
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